Puzzle with color rules

ABSTRACT

Puzzles characterized by colored pieced with unique shapes. The unique shapes of the pieces include more than one polygonal shape. The pieces can be jointly assembled into a tiling configuration in various ways allowing for large number of solutions. The puzzle pieces are placed on a flat board with a frame which matches the edges of the various pieces. The puzzle pieces can be jointly assembled to the frame. The object of the puzzle is to fill the board with all the pieces while following specific color restriction rule and predefined starting point.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to games and puzzles, and more particularly to puzzles wherein a plurality of pieces are arranged to fill a specified board. The current invention also relates to games and puzzles where specified color and pieces position rules have to be met.

Description of Prior Art

Puzzles come in many forms and sizes. Puzzle pieces may be randomly shapes (such as in jigsaw-type puzzles) or have geometrical properties (such as squares, triangles and other polygons). In most cases the various pieces are matched to each other by fitting the edge of one piece to the edge of the adjacent piece. The edges of the pieces can also be fitted to the board frame or to features inside the board. These type of puzzle may also be referred to as tiling-games where a board is being tiled by pieces of various shapes. The puzzles and tiling games may be solved by one or more players.

A wide variety of puzzles are currently available on the commercial market. For example, the puzzle disclosed by Thurston in U.S. Pat. No. 490,689; the puzzle disclosed by Haswell in U.S. Pat. No. 1,558,165; the color match board game disclosed by Rowbal in U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,952; the matching puzzle with multiple solutions disclosed by Vogeler in U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,749 and the twelve-sided polygon tile game and method of playing in U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,151.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises of a playing board of various shapes and pieces with various polygonal shapes and colors. The board edge and structures inside the board are such that the various pieces can be jointly assembled to it. For each board-type, few uniquely shaped pieces can be used to complete the puzzle. In addition, the unique pieces are individually colored. The puzzle board is designed such that each piece can be placed at various positions. However, the puzzle progression and its solutions are restricted by specific color configuration which is regarded as a ‘color-rule’. For example, one such color-rule would be that all the pieces in a specific row or column must have different colors. Another color-rule may be such that all the pieces which are jointly assembled to a specific board piece must have different colors. These constraints create a challenge to the puzzle solver which is a combination of color selection, spatial positioning and choice of pieces shapes. Solving the puzzle requires a comprehensive understanding of the board shape and the pieces which are placed in it.

The pieces of the puzzle may be evenly colored on both sides or made such that each planar side has a different color. This embodiment usually increases the number of possible solution as it adds more variety to the way the pieces may be placed.

The puzzle can be solved by one individual in various sequences. In one scenario the solver starts with a blank board and locates the pieces anywhere on the board while following the specified color rules. In another scenario the solver start with a predefined arrangement of some of the pieces which follows the color rules, the solver then has to arrange the remaining pieces without compromising the color rules.

The puzzle can also be solved by more than one individual, either starting with a blank board or from a predefined pieces arrangement. Each player then has to add one or more pieces to the board without breaking the color rules. The player who fits the most pieces onto the board wins the game. In this scenario, the pieces can either be distributed to the players before the game starts or being taken from a prearranged pile.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Accordingly, several objects and advantages of this invention are:

(a) To provide a puzzle with multiple solutions. In this way the player's interest will not diminish after solving it once.

(b) To provide a challenging puzzle which combines the acts of color selection, spatial positioning and choice of pieces shapes.

(c) To provide a puzzle that requires the solver to have a comprehensive holistic understanding of the board shape and its pieces. This would induce forward-thinking of pieces selection and positioning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawing, wherein capital letter on the pieces represent their color; R indicates red, B indicates blue, G indicates green, Y indicates yellow, P indicates purple, O indicates orange and K indicates black.

FIGS. 1 to 3 refer to preferred embodiment of this invention

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the whole puzzle in a solution configuration.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of typical pieces of the puzzle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the playing board with color pieces placed in it, illustrating a game in progress.

FIGS. 4 to 6 refer to an alternative embodiment of this invention

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the whole puzzle, having a hexagonal board shape in a solution configuration.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of typical pieces of the puzzle.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the playing board with color pieces placed in it, illustrating a game in progress.

FIGS. 7 to 9 refer to another alternative embodiment of this invention

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the whole puzzle, having a lined shaped pieces in a solution configuration.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of typical pieces of the puzzle.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the playing board with color pieces placed in it, illustrating a game in progress.

FIGS. 10 and 11 refer to a variation of the alternative embodiment described in FIGS. 4 to 6.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the playing board with color pieces placed in it, illustrating a game in progress.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of typical pieces of the puzzle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. In this embodiment the puzzle consists of a square-shaped board 20 which may encompass twenty-five different pieces. Inside the board embedded are small squares 21 which are used to position the pieces. The board's perimeter consists of diagonal lines 22 and 23 which can mate to the various pieces 24 and 25. The pieces used in this embodiment are illustrated in FIG. 2 and consist of three types; diagonal shaped piece 26, right-handed windmill 27 and left-handed windmill 28. The progress of the puzzle completion is illustrated in FIG. 3. The pieces are being placed such that they fit the adjacent pieces and the board features. In addition the placement of the pieces should not violate the color-rule for this embodiment which states that every row and column must include pieces of all colors. This restricts the solver from placing two pieces with the same color on the same row or column. Variations to this embodiment may include a larger board, a rectangular-shaped board, other polygonal-shaped pieces, varying board perimeter contour or pieces which have different colors one each planar side.

Alternate Embodiments

This invention lends itself to many varieties of embodiments which vary in the board's shape, the shape of the board's perimeter, the shapes of the pieces, the color of the pieces and the color-rule.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate one such alternate embodiment. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4 the board 30 has a hexagonal shape. The board may encompass twenty-four different pieces. Small hexagonal shapes 31 are fixed onto the board to assist in positioning the pieces 32, 33 and 34. The board's perimeter consists of inward and outward triangular contours 35 and 36 which mate to the edges of the pieces. The pieces used in this embodiment are illustrated in FIG. 5 and consist of three types; hexagonal shaped piece 37, three-legged star 38 and an arrow 39. The progress of the puzzle completion is illustrated in FIG. 6. The pieces are being placed such that they fit the adjacent pieces and the board features. In addition the placement of the pieces should not violate the color-rule for this embodiment in which every internal small hexagonal shape has to have pieces of all colors mated to it. This imposes a constraint which affects the pieces layout of the whole board. Variations to this embodiment may include a larger board, a triangular shaped board, other polygonal-shaped pieces, varying board perimeter contour or pieces which have different colors on the each planar side. One such variation, which includes larger board and various pieces, is illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. A perspective view of the progress of such puzzle is illustrated in FIG. 10. The pieces of this variation are shown in FIG. 11.

FIGS. 7 to 9 illustrate another alternate embodiment. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 7 the board 40 has a square shape. The board may encompass twenty different pieces. Small squares shapes 41 are fixed into the board to assist in positioning the pieces 42, 43, 44 and 45. The board's perimeter includes four square alcoves 46 which can mate to the pieces. The pieces used in this embodiment are illustrated in FIG. 8 and consist of four type of squares and rectangles of different lengths; square 47, two-square rectangle 48, three-square rectangle 49 and four-square rectangle 50. The progress of the puzzle completion is illustrated in FIG. 9. The pieces are being placed such that they fit the adjacent pieces and the board features. In addition the placement of the pieces should not violate the color-rule for this embodiment which is that no two pieces of the same color may be located such that one or more of their faces are in contact. This imposes a constraint which affects the pieces layout of the whole board. Variations to this embodiment may include a larger board, more less square or rectangular alcoves in the perimeter, a rectangular board, other polygonal-shaped pieces, pieces of different lengths and pieces which have different colors on the top or the bottom.

Many other variations are feasible. The above descriptions should not be limiting the scope of this invention, but rather to illustrate a few of its many possible embodiments. The scope of this invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given. 

1. A puzzle comprising a multiplicity of planar pieces wherein: a. Each of piece has a polygonal contour b. The multiplicity of pieces have more than one polygonal contour c. The planer side of each piece is evenly colored d. The pieces can be jointly assembled into tiling configuration e. The tiling configuration creates a polygonal tiling area f. A tiling area perimeter is shaped to that it may be jointly assembled to the pieces. g. The positions of the pieces obey a predefined color rule with respect to the tiling area.
 2. The puzzle according to claim 1 wherein stationary squares are embedded onto the tiling area and create a grid of rows and columns in which the pieces can be placed in.
 3. The puzzle according to claim 2 wherein the color rule demands that no two or more pieces of the same color may be positioned on the same row or column.
 4. The puzzle according to claim 3 wherein the puzzle shapes are selected from a group consisting of a diamond-shaped piece, right-handed windmill and left-hand windmill.
 5. The puzzle according to claim 3 the tiling area has a rectangular shape.
 6. The puzzle according to claim 3 wherein there are 25 puzzle pieces.
 7. The puzzle according to claim 1 wherein stationary hexagons are embedded onto the tiling area allowing for placement of up to six pieces around each such hexagon.
 8. The puzzle according to claim 7 wherein the color rule demands that no two or more pieces of the same color may be positioned in adjacent to a stationary hexagon.
 9. The puzzle according to claim 8 wherein the puzzle shapes are selected from a group consisting of three-legged star, hexagon and an arrow.
 10. The puzzle according to claim 8 wherein the tiling area has a hexagonal shape.
 11. The puzzle according to claim 8 wherein the tiling area has a triangular shape.
 12. The puzzle according to claim 10 wherein there are 24 puzzle pieces.
 13. The puzzle according to claim 1 wherein stationary squares and rectangles are embedded onto the tiling area and create a limitation to where pieces may be placed.
 14. The puzzle according to claim 13 wherein the color rule demand that no two or more pieces of the same color may be positioned such that one or more of their facets are adjacent.
 15. The puzzle according to claim 14 wherein the puzzle shapes are selected from a group consisting of squares and rectangular with various lengths and widths.
 16. The puzzle according to claim 14 wherein the tiling area has a square shape.
 17. The puzzle according to claim 14 wherein the tiling area has a rectangular shape with square alcoves.
 18. The puzzle according to claim 1 wherein the planar pieces have two different colors for each planar face.
 19. The puzzle according to claim 1 wherein some of the said pieces are to be set in a predefined arrangement according to a described starting configuration.
 20. The puzzle according to claim 1 wherein solution and progression to the solution is being performed by more than one person. 